Manual dynamic balancing of rotatable members is still a common practice with the member being rotated to determine the points of unbalance, the rotation stopped to attach weights manually, and the member perhaps rotated a second time to check the balance. Obviously, this is a tedious and time-consuming procedure. Attempts at automation have not been widely successful.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,432,659 to Criswell first determines the locations requiring added weight and then sprays “small particles of metal” repeatedly until the member is balanced.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,937,613 discloses firing a “Body” at a groove in a rotating member but does not disclose any means for capturing and retaining the “Body”.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,769 to Gusarov et al projects glue onto the circumaxial locations requiring balancing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,232 to Saitoh ejects a liquid balancing agent, which requires curing.
Provisional Patent Application entitled Method and Apparatus for Balancing Fan and Blower Assemblies, filed of even date herewith, discloses a system similar to the foregoing patents but which fires projectiles of metal or the like at a rotating member for balancing the same. The system is highly efficient but requires a means of capturing the projectiles and positively retaining the same at the desired circumaxial locations.
The foregoing patents as well as the Provisional Application are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
It is the general object of the present invention to provide projectile capturing and retaining means on a rotating member in a simple and efficient manner.